Open Circle
Democrats Abroad Lake Chapala Vice Chair Larry Pihl will present “Vote 2024! What You Need to Know” at the next meeting of Open Circle, at the Lake Chapala Society, Sunday, January 7, 10:30 a.m.
Learn why you—and every eligible U.S. citizen abroad—should get ready in early January. Hint: 2024 Elections start as early as late January.
Crafts and arts
• The monthly Artisans Market (Art in the Plaza) at Centro Laguna Mall—behind Black Coffee, across from Walmart—Saturday, January 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come and enjoy the music and shop from over 60 vendors selling gourmet food, art work in all disciplines, textiles, jewelry and much more.
• All are welcome to the grand opening of Heber’s Artesanal Galeria in Plaza Interlago, local 7 on the Libramiento in San Antonio, Saturday, January 7, noon to 5 p.m. Browse their selection of stylish home decorations, artworks, jewelry, handbags, gem stones and more. Live music and mezcal tasting.
Democrats Abroad
• Representative Jaime Raskin will talk about truth, accountability and protecting democracy in his online discussion “Justice and the Power of the Vote,” Saturday, January 6, 8 a.m. ET. Raskin is a key figure in the investigation into the events of January 6, 2021, serving as the chair of the House Select Committee. He will discuss the committee’s work and its efforts to uncover the truth. To RSVP, go to democratsabroad.org/events and scroll to this event.
• Democrats Abroad Lake Chapala representatives will offer personalized 2024 voter assistance at the Lake Chapala Society, Monday, January 8, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Chapala Birders
Monday, January 8, the Lake Chapala Birders will meet at 8 a.m. at the sculpture on the Carretera in La Floresta, leaving immediately for Mezcala Mountain (a 40-minute drive). The group will walk the one-mile (1.5 km) trail at the top. After a snack break at 11 a.m., they will return to Ajijic about 12:30 p.m. Other pick-up points can be arranged between Ajijic and Mezcala. If you plan on going, email John Keeling at chapalabirders@ yahoo.com no later than Saturday, January 6 indicating if you have a vehicle and if you can take passengers. High-clearance vehicles are recommended for the ascent on this trip.
Thursday, January 18, the Birders will meet 8 a.m. at the sculpture in La Floresta, leaving immediately for the Rosa Amarilla Loop (a 60-minute drive). Expect to see a variety of grassland birds and possibly a white-tailed hawk. Bring refreshments for the morning and sandwiches for the 12.30 p.m. lunch stop. The return is around 3.30 p.m. You must reserve at least two days ahead indicating if you can bring a vehicle and can take others, or if you would like to be a passenger; via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Bird walks are open to all those interested in birds, both beginners and experienced birders. Just bring binoculars. Chapala Birders always has knowledgeable birders on hand to identify the species.
Ajijic Cares
Ajijic Cares is sponsoring an event at Lucky Bar, (Carretera Pte. 25E on the mountain side, across from Vinos America) Thursday, January 11, 5 p.m. Ajijic Cares presents information about our sex education classes and other services offered to the gay and lesbian community. For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Dining for Jaltepec
Lakeside’s Centro Educativo Jaltepec, Mexico’s only hotel and hospitality management technical university for young women, invites you to join them for a week of fine dining.
From January 15 to 19, six local restaurants will donate 15 percent of their revenue each evening to benefit the Jaltepec students, who will be at those establishments each night. See the ad on page 9 for a full list of dates, the dining establishments participating, and reservations numbers.
Meet the Authors
If inclement weather meant that you missed the initial “Meet the Authors” event to launch the anthology “Bravados - Living, Loving and Aging at Lake Chapala,” produced by Janice Kimball, you have a second opportunity. Diane Pearl’s Gallery, 23 Sta. Margarita, Riberas del Pilar, will be hosting another gathering on January 18, 1 to 3 p.m.
Come and listen as many of the 21 authors offer glimpses into their stories that capture unique experiences of Lakeside living.
Books will be available for sale for 300 pesos. Authors will remain after the presentation to sign books.
Mortality
Loretta Downs presents Mortality Up Close and Personal, an intimate conversation about death and dying, at the Heart of Awareness Meditation Center, Guadalupe Victoria, 101 in Ajijic. The two-part program runs Mondays, January 22 and January 29, from 2 to 4 p.m.
We can take care of our legal and financial business in case of an unexpected death, but that does not teach us how to die well or how to support loved ones who die before us. Loretta will help you map the path you want to take.
Loretta’s uplifting and inspiring style makes talking about the end of life as easy and interesting as talking about the beginning of life. She is a storyteller with extraordinary experiences that suffuse her lively presentations with love, compassion, hope, and wisdom. Her optimistic perspective on the end of life is informed by decades of being with the dying and the people who care for them. She knows about living with loss, braving the challenges of mid-life, caring for loved ones through death -- and what it took to confront her own mortality.
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 331-043-4669 for more information and registration.
Beans and Grapes
The Festival de Café, Chocolate y Vino will take place on the Ajijic Malecon January 20 and 21. This event is a setting for a cultural, ancestral gastronomy of coffee and cocoa, grains that characterize the culinary richness of Mexico.
Likewise, wine has become an art that goes along with Mexican history and tradition and represents a healthy style of life. More than 30 entrepreneurs from Queretaro, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosi, Puebla, Guerrero, Veracruz, State of Mexico, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Mexico City, Chihuahua and Michoacan will promote their products.